PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE 4:00 p.m., Monday, March 8, 2010

Transcription

1 PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE 4:00 p.m., Monday, The regular meeting of the Public Works Committee was held at 4 p.m., Wednesday, March 8, 2010 in the Public Works Building located at 1303 Palm Boulevard, Isle of Palms, South Carolina. Attending the meeting were Councilmembers Stone and Thomas, Chair Duffy, City Administrator Tucker, Public Works Director Pitts and City Clerk Copeland. Dave Stevens of Civil Site Environmental (CSE) had been asked to attend to discuss drainage issues on the island. (Councilmember Stone arrived at 4:40 p.m. due to a business problem.) 1. Chair Duffy called the meeting to order and acknowledged that the press and public had been duly notified of the meeting in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act. 2. Approval of Previous Meeting s Minutes MOTION: Councilmember Thomas moved to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of February 3, 2010 as submitted; Chair Duffy seconded and the motion PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. 3. Citizens Comments None 4. Department Reports for February 2010 Director Pitts Director Pitts reported that he had anticipated residents assuming that there would be no garage pickup on President s Day, February 15, so he assigned the shuttle trucks to cover the island for missed garbage. He suggested that there be a notification to the public in the future when the City would be operating on a holiday to avoid confusion for the island s residents. He reported that the apparatus the City had acquired several years back to spread the sand and salt mixture in a snow event had not been powerful enough to successfully tackle the Connector, and SCDOT had sanded the bridge for the City. The equipment was good for the Breach Inlet bridge, but it could not carry the volume necessary to handle the Connector. The apparatus had been acquired following a snow event in the past when several physicians who live on the island had not been able to get to hospitals in the City. Administrator Tucker explained that, of the area to be covered by SCDOT and Charleston County Public Works, the Isle of Palms bridges have a very low priority, and the City realized that it had a responsibility to assist its citizens in this way. Director Pitts noted that vehicle maintenance for the department was under budget through seven (7) months of the fiscal year. He also reported that garbage collections for February 2010 had been at a five-year (5 yr.) low. In conclusion, he distributed a schedule of the Public Works Department s fleet of vehicles, which Councilman Buckhannon had requested at the February Ways and Means Committee meeting. 5. Old Business Drainage

2 Page 2 of 5 A. Status of 54 th -57 th Avenue Drainage Project Bid Process 1. Amendment to Civil Site Environmental Contract for Bidding and Construction Administrator Tucker recounted that City Council had authorized her to send the letter to SCDOT stating that the City would be responsible for maintenance of the proposed drainage system; she indicated that the letter had been written and sent to Dave Stevens of Civil Site Environmental to be forwarded to SCDOT. Mr. Stevens stated that the letter had been sent to SCDOT. The Administrator stated that the next step, assuming that the Committee wanted to proceed with the projects, was preparation of the bid package; Mr. Stevens has submitted a proposal to the City to amend CSE s contract to include preparing the bid documents and technical support throughout the project in the amount of twenty thousand eight hundred dollars ($20,800). While CSE is working on the bid, she and the City Attorney will be involved in getting the needed easements through Wild Dunes. MOTION: Chair Duffy moved to recommend to the Ways and Means Committee to amend the contract with Civil Site Environmental in the amount of $20,800 to include preparation of the bid package and technical support during construction of the 54 th -57 th Avenues Drainage Project; Councilmember Thomas seconded and the motion PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. Chair Duffy asked how much money was available for this project; Administrator Tucker responded that there was approximately eight hundred thousand dollars ($800,000). At this point, Mr. Stevens shared a preliminary estimate from a company that he does several millions of dollars of business each year that totaled approximately seven hundred three thousand dollars ($703,000); although the preliminary estimate is dated September 2009, Administrator Tucker expressed hope that companies were hungry for work and that the project could be completed with the available funds. 2. Proposal to Amend Contract to CSE for Drainage Design Work for 54 th -57 th Avenue and Palm Boulevard Administrator Tucker stated that the ocean side of Palm Boulevard between 54 th and 57 th Avenues has not held water in the past, and the problem could be attributed to the fact that SCDOT has not cleaned this ditch in a long time. Director Pitts has contacted DOT requesting that they clean it. The Administrator noted that she had asked Mr. Stevens to submit a proposal for design work for this area in coordination with the 54 th -57 th Avenue Drainage Project on the possibility that cleaning the ditch does not solve problem; the proposal is in the amount of ten thousand dollars ($10,000). Chair Duffy suggested that no action be taken on this proposal until the April meeting.

3 Page 3 of 5 B. Discussion of Alternatives for 49 th -53 rd Avenues According to Administrator Tucker, the standing water on these streets is old news, i.e. the problem has been discussed in the past. An idea offered in the past was a retention pond at the Citadel Beach House, where there is a significant flooding problem. Mr. Stevens suggested that the best solution would be to string pipes through an easement through the Citadel property across 46 th Avenue to the outfall at A Dock at the marina, or there could be the need for a new outfall. Mr. Stevens said that it would not be perfect because there would be a submerged outfall, but the water would be gone in eight to ten (8-10) hours in a big storm. The Administrator related another past suggestion of constructing temporary ponds at the end of streets, similar to 48 th Avenue, that could be done, but was not considered to be a good idea. These ponds could create hazards for the City, were breeding grounds for mosquitoes and snakes and did not work well over time. Mr. Stevens stated that oil and other materials settle in these ponds, and they become impervious. Chair Duffy suggested installing temporary collection boxes. Director Pitts reported that collection boxes had been found at 53 rd and 50 th Avenues that the City has put to use; several other streets were identified that would benefit from such boxes. The Director stated that a temporary collection box could be installed for about one hundred dollars ($100) and that his staff was capable of doing the work; Chair Duffy asked the Director to install a box at 46 th Avenue before the April meeting and to report back to the Committee. C. Discussion of Alternatives for 44 th -46 th Avenues The Administrator reported that this problem was addressed in 2006 and that there is some infrastructure in place; at that time, the proposal was to extend piping and tie into existing infrastructure. The Public Works Committee had rejected the proposal then to focus City efforts on the 54 th -57 th Avenue issues. This proposal would require the acquisition of easements from property owners in the area, and it was determined that the easements would cost more than the work. Chair Duffy suggested that Mr. Stevens prepare design estimates for each of the areas discussed separately for the April meeting. D. Discussion of Alternatives for Sparrow Lane Administrator Tucker reported that in 2005 residents of Sparrow Lane had petitioned the City for help with the standing water on the street; Eadie s had provided the City with an estimate of seventeen thousand five hundred dollars ($17,500) to install a catch basis and one hundred sixty feet (160 ft) of piping, but the City did not move forward. The Administrator had expressed concerns at the time with the lack of engineering design accompanying Eadie s proposal; Mr. Stevens stated his suspicions that this proposal would alleviate the problem. Director Pitts added that part of the water from Sparrow Lane flows to Forest Trail.

4 Page 4 of 5 Mr. Stevens informed the Committee that there were new regulations and permitting requirements, particularly related to stormwater that would impact this area. E. Status of Drainage Maintenance Request for Proposal Director Pitts reported that he had the RFP draft, but he was not yet ready to present it to the Administrator. F. Review of Contingency Plan for Pumping (SOP for Flooding Events) Administrator Tucker reported that the plan had been developed with input from the Public Works Committee and City Council; it remains the outline for action, but needs to be updated. Today there are different parameters for deployment and triggers for action. When asked by Councilmember Stone what changes would be made, the Administrator listed the following: The Police Department should be the primary trigger point as officers are constantly on the City s streets; The Fire Department augments the efforts of the Public Works Department; The criteria for pumping should also be re-prioritized. 6. New Business As with the Capital Budgets, the Administrator said this will not be the only opportunity that the Committee will have to review and make changes to the Operating Budget; she will explain the bolded line items that reflect changes from the prior year s budget. Salaries $445,655 Salaries have been adjusted based on as estimated 4% pool for performance-based adjustments effective 1/1/11. FICA expense 34,093 Retirement expense 41,847 These 2 line items are functions of salaries and have been adjusted upward accordingly. Group health insurance 87,491 Based on preliminary information from the City s provider, a 10% increase is estimated; definite information will be available after the annual meeting April 1. Workers Compensation 30,603 Also a function of salaries with a 5% estimated rate increase. Vehicle fuel and oil 79,688 Fuel prices are expected to rise, so this figure is based on the vendor s best estimate with a 25% cushion added. Electricity and gas 72,906 Based on past 12 months actual plus 5% rate increase from SCE&G Water and sewer 3,500 Increased based on past 12 months actual Machinery and equipment repair 5,000 Increased to cover higher number of City-owned drainage pumps LTD insurance 2,005 Based on full-time salaries

5 Page 5 of 5 Temporary Labor 162,614 Increase based higher hourly rate due to minimum wage increase. 50% paid from Municipal ATAX. Overall, an increase of three percent (50%) in projected over the FY10 budget. MOTION: Councilmember Stone moved to approve the FY11 operating budget as presented and to send it on to the Ways and Means Committee; Councilmember Thomas seconded and the motion PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. B. Consideration of Award of Contracts in Excess of $10,000 None 7. Miscellaneous Business Next Meeting Date: 4 p.m., Tuesday, April 6, Adjourn MOTION: Chair Duffy moved to adjourn the meeting at 5:15 p.m.; Councilmember Stone seconded and the motion PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. Respectfully submitted: Marie Copeland City Clerk